Pose For Me | K.TH

3

AILA

A thousand dollars were sitting in my bank account right now.

An uncontrollable smile on my lips, I scan through the bakery displays. I wasn't even looking at the price tags— I knew exactly what I wanted.

Soft, round pieces of delicious mocha bread, stuffed with sweet coffee cream and topped with powdered sugar.

I'd always held back.

But now I have my arms full of it as I pay happily on the counter, still smiling so wide that the lady is giving me weirded out looks.

And I don't even mind.

Carefully placing each cute package inside my backpack, I make my happy way to class.

But the moment I step inside the entrance, I feel that something is wrong. Almost all the students who'd been talking amongst themselves had fallen silent to stare at me when I'd first come in.

I blink.

Then they turn back to their friends again, whispering loud enough for me to hear.

"I didn't think she was someone like that."

"I know! I thought she was nice when I first saw her. Should've known that she had no friends for a reason."

"Wow. She really did that? To Bomi?"

Bomi?

The happiness from the morning dissipates into ashes as I turn back to the shy, meek girl. My steps are now careful, feeling so confused and lost.

I don't understand.

The whispers continue. It continues all the way to my physics class, and even when the lecture starts.

It stops only then, to turn into harsh stares at both my back and front.

I don't.

My hands are shaking by the time the professor calls for the end of lesson, hurrying to sweep my books and notes into my backpack. Why were they cursing at me? Staring at me like that?

My heart hasn't slowed down from a rapid beat since an hour ago.

I'm about to leave the lecture hall when someone stops me.

"Hey. Aila."

My face feels ashen as I turn around, to see a girl with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Is what they're saying really true?" She says, jerking her head towards a group of students looking in our direction. "About how you stole away Bomi's spot for her audition yesterday?"

It feels like a rock is stuck in my throat.

"...what?"

"So it is true?" She presses. "Do you know how hard she worked for that opportunity? I saw her practicing her walk every night, for that very audition."

"But I didn't...."

But the moment she turns away, I already know she's made up her mind about me. She thinks I've somehow taken away Bomi's spotlight, from the modeling audition that she herself had invited me to yesterday.